Vacuum cleaning device for cleaning animals.



J. J. SLEVIN. VACUUM CLEANING DEVICE FOR CLEANING ANIMALS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.13,1911.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANDURAPM C0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED srATus PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. SLEVIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VACUUM CLEANING DEVICE FOR CLEANING ANIMALS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES J. SLEvIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Vacuum Cleaning Devices for Cleaning Animals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the cleaning of animals and the removal of the particles of dust, dirt and hair by a vacuum cleaning device.

Heretofore in cleaning horses and other four-footed animals, it has been usual to employ some form of a curry-comb held in the hand and with force passed over the body of the animal in removing dust and dirt and brushing the hair. This cleaning operation is not only disagreeable but unsanitary, and it has been proposed to em ploy a vacuum cleaning device so as to remove all particles of dirt and hair from proximity with the brush or curry-comb and convey the same into a receptacle.

My invention relates particularly to a cleaning implement combining a brush and curry-comb upon a suitable foundation, slotted and provided with a tubular member adapted to receive one end of the flexible hose of a vacuum cleaning device.

In the device of my invention, the foundation is preferably slotted lengthwise to produce the necessary intake nozzle for the air suction as a conveyer of the particles of dirt, dust and hair. The tuft-s of bristle forming the brush or brush members and the serrated edged blades forming the curry-comb may be variously arranged, according to the several forms of my invention, either with all the groups of bristles constituting the brush on one side of said slot, and the curry-comb blades all on the other side of the slot, or with portions of each of said members arranged on each side of the slot. It is however, desirable for the successful operation of the device, that the curry-comb blades should lie at right angles to the length of the slot so that air may be moved freely between said blades to the slot in removing the particles of dust, dirt and hair by the vacuum cleaning device. The cletails of these forms of my invention are hereinafter more particularly described.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating generally the device of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 13, 1911.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

Serial No. 608,435.

Figs. 3 and 4 are inverted plans representing forms of my invention, and Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section of the form of my invention shown in Fig. 4.

The foundation or block of the brush as made in one piece is shown at a in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or as made in two parts a a and shown in Figs. 4c and 5; it being immaterial for the purpose of the invention Whether the foundation is made in one piece or in two. The foundation is usually wood. A slot at 2 formed in the foundation a is narrow, elongated, and preferably made lengthwise of the foundation so as to obtain a maximum area for the suction and for draft thereinto in the narrower direction of the brush.

1) represents the intake nozzle, advantageously made with a flange b for the screws 3 by which the intake nozzle is secured to the foundation; there being preferably a washer 4 between the upper surface of the foundation a and the under surface of the nozzle 6 and which washer is of yielding character to insure an air-tight joint. At 0 I have shown part of a flexible hose and at c a coupling for connecting the same to the intake nozzle; the hose extending to a suitable vacuum producing device.

cZ represents the series or tufts of bristles forming the brush and e the serrated blades forming the curry-comb. Because the bristles yield in use the blades are made shorter. The tufts of bristles are advantageously connected to the foundation in any usual way practiced in the art of brush making and the serrated blades are to be connected to the foundation advantageously in any manner known in the art of making currycombs.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown the foundation a a as divided lengthwise and the parts as secured together by bolts 5. In this connection the intake nozzle 2) is preferably provided with a tubular flange b which passes down through and between the mem.

a skirt secured to the foundation and pro jecting to a greater or less extent around the brush members and curry-comb blades, so as to restrict the area of entering air in relation to the surface being cleaned so as to make more effective the vacuum cleaning implement.

In Figs. 3, 4-, and 5 the tufts or bristles forming the brush are placed across the foundation or foundation parts at right angles to the line of the slot. They are arranged in blocks or series, as illustrated in the drawing, between which come the serrated blades forming the curry-comb, and it will be noticed that in all cases these blades 6 are placed at right angles to the line of the slot so as to form channels from beyond the cleaning device to the slot which extend the shortest distance from the slot to the walls of the foundation for a direct suction to draw in the particles of dust, dirt and hair into the slot in the cleaning operation, for it is quite apparent that if the serrated blades were placed lengthwise of the brush and parallel with the slot, the operative area for the suction would only be from the ends of the foundation and between the adjacent walls of the curry-comb blades and outside of that there would be no effective action, as these blades extend to and come in contact with the foundation.

The cleaning implement is to be held in the hand and passed with some force over the body of the animal to be cleaned and brushed; the vacuum cleaning function being meanwhile performed so as to at once take up the dust, dirt and hair and convey it through the slot into the vacuum cleaning device so that none of it is present in the atmosphere directly surrounding the cleaning implement, thus making the cleaning of the animal sanitary and agreeable.

In Fig. 3 I have only indicated the bristles and shown the boundary lines thereof.

I do not limit my invention to any arrangement of the bristles forming brush members or to any arrangement of the blade members to form a curry-comb, as these may be arranged to suit rough cleaning or the laying of the animals hair smoothly in one direction after the rough cleaning.

I claim as my invention 1. A vacuum cleaning device for cleaning animals, comprising a foundation of suitable material to be held in the hand and provided with a slot therein lengthwise thereof, an intake nozzle suitably secured to one surface of said foundation and having a slot coinciding with the slot of the foundation, series of bristles formingabrush secured to the opposite surface of said foundation and series of blades forming currycomb members also secured to the same surface of the foundation, with the bristles and said blades arranged across the foundation and at right angles to the line of the slot so as to constitute unobstructed intake passage-ways to the slot.

2. A vacuum cleaning, device for cleaning animals, comprising a foundation of suit able material to be held in the hand and provided with a slot therein lengthwise thereof, an intake nozzle suitably secured to one sur face of said foundation and having a slot coinciding with the slot of the foundation, series of bristles forming a brush secured to the opposite surface of said foundation and series of blades forming curry-comb members also secured to the same surface of the foundation, with the bristles and said blades arranged across the foundation and at right angles to the line of the slot but not crossing the same so as to constitute unobstructed intake passage-ways to the slot, and a band or skirt of suitable material secured to the periphery of the foundation and extending partly over the bristles and blades.

3. A vacuum cleaning device for cleaning animals, comprising a foundation of suitable material to be held in the hand and provided with a slot therein lengthwise thereof, an intake nozzle suitably secured to one surface of said foundation and having a slot coinciding with the slot of the foundation, and series of bristles secured to the opposite surface of the foundation and arranged in groups, and serrated blades forming curry-comb members arranged between the bristles and the said blades secured to the foundation at right angles to the line of the slot, so as to thereby produce unobstructed intake channels to the slot for the removal of particles into the slot in the vacuum cleaning operation.

Signed by me this 6th day of February J. J. SLEVIN. Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINOKNEY, E. ZAGHARIASEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

